


In the Palm of His Hand

by herbailiwick



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Crossover, Crossover Pairings, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-02
Updated: 2012-10-02
Packaged: 2017-11-15 11:36:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/526870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/herbailiwick/pseuds/herbailiwick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock has a crush on the Doctor (Nine). Inspired by this <a href="http://optimisam.tumblr.com/post/32717684584/daftwithoneshoe-companion-wattson-au-2-the">gifset</a> by daftwithoneshoe.</p><p>Rated G</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the Palm of His Hand

"Sherlock, do you have a crush on the Doctor?" John asked, pushing his amusement aside for a moment.

Sherlock looked up from the page where he'd been practicing Circular Gallifreyan. "Why do you ask, John?" he said a little guardedly.

"Because of the way you smile, I suppose." John pulled a chair close to Sherlock's, sat down and had a look at all the circles, shaking his head. The language was beyond him, but Sherlock was picking it right up. 

"The way I smile?" Sherlock's brow furrowed, then relaxed again. "Mm. Perhaps I'll be more careful," he said a bit dismissively.

Not ready to drop it, John pressed, "And you can't get enough of wanting to learn about his past. And the two of you love to make fun of humans together, but you like the way he still feels nearly everyone's basically good. You like his philosophy."

"No, I don't!" Sherlock denied stupidly.

"You do, though," John laughed. He shook his head, smiling. "I've never seen you so happy, even with me. I'm not complaining, either. I think...I think if you like him, you should let him know. He may be wise, but he doesn't think very highly of himself. Secretly, somewhere deep inside, you know the feeling."

Sherlock sighed heavily. "Alright." He brought the pen up to his lips, tapping the tip against the soft, pink curve of them. "I suppose I do have an appreciation for him. Everyone does, don't they? I've even seen you smile at him in a swept up way."

John said breathlessly, "He makes you feel swept up?"

"I didn't say that!" Sherlock snapped, looking anxiously around.

"He _does_ ," John said, eyes wide, stunned.

Sherlock dropped the pen with a clatter, burying his face in his hands.

John hesitated to reach out to him physically, deciding not to. "Sherlock?"

"I shouldn't have danced with him," Sherlock said in a tone that suggested he'd have liked to delete all his feelings. "Certainly shouldn't have asked to learn Circular Gallifreyan. Modern Gallifreyan should have satisfied me, but it didn't." He rubbed at his eyes, peeling his hands away. He looked...agonized. 

John did reach out, resting his hand on Sherlock's shoulder. "It's okay. Sherlock, it's okay."

Sherlock nodded slowly, but he didn't appear to believe the statement.

"Feel free to talk to me. It's all fine, remember? It's all fine."

Sherlock took in a shuddery breath. "I've never had this much fun with anyone before. I don't...I don't mean any offense by that, John, please don't think I do. But...he makes me feel bad when I mess up. He makes me want to impress him. And I know you do too; it's not that I don't see that." He sighed heavily. "I shouldn't be telling you." He looked at John with such concern that John realized he was afraid he'd hurt him.

The Doctor chose that terrible moment to come into the study. "John! Sherlock! There you are. Think I dealt with all the repairs." He paused, noting Sherlock's hunched posture, the way his eyes darted a bit, but never looked at him.

"Have I done something?" the Doctor asked. 

Sherlock's eyes finally met his. "Not at all, Doctor," he said in a slightly choked tone. He cleared his throat. "Nothing bad, anyway. I'm glad you fixed the problem. To...Rio, was it?"

"Yes." The Doctor stepped closer, pulling what looked to be a large gem out of his pocket. He handed it to John. "This was the problem, I think. There are two possible planets it could have come from. In the one case, I should have completely eliminated the problem."

"And in the other case, Doctor?" Sherlock demanded, with less than his usual force.

"We'll be much less precise with the travelling. Luckily, nothing as serious as last time we had a problem."

"Good," John said quickly. He handed the gem to Sherlock to observe.

"What is it? Some kind of precious stone?"

"A fossil, actually. Pretty, though, isn't it?" 

Sherlock was so caught up in watching it glitter that he didn't realize the Doctor was reading his page of Circular Gallifreyan scribbles.

"Not bad. A lot more circular than your first attempts." 

Sherlock flushed, pinking slightly as he turned the fossil a bit between his fingers. "Is that so?" he said quietly.

"Yeah. Very nice." The Doctor reached out and pat Sherlock on the shoulder. "Oh, and for the record, I think I like you a lot too. _Like_ like. Is that what they say, John, like like?"

"Er...sometimes," John supplied, watching Sherlock freeze, watching him swallow.

The Doctor gave Sherlock's shoulder a squeeze. "Go on and keep that," he said easily. "Label it, experiment on it, do what you will. Not worth much to anyone but an ordinary man with a mind like yours. Mind, don't go blowing it up or sticking it in the controls." He paused to let Sherlock answer, but Sherlock didn't move.

"Okay," John finally answered for Sherlock. "He won't."

The Doctor left them alone then, and Sherlock didn't move until he heard the door shut. And even then, it was only to slip the fossil into his pocket, steeple his fingers together in thought, and leave John and the room behind. 

John smiled to himself and left, trying to decide whether to find the Doctor or to see if the wardrobe held something more appropriate for their destination than what he was already wearing.


End file.
